It all started back in high school, for me at least, and it all started with one song “I Turned Into A Martian.” I was working as a prep cook at the time and had the benefit of listening to whatever music I chose fit while working. And at that time – it was the Misfits. The band of old had been introduced to me by the band of new Misfits, which in particular lured me in with the video for “Scream” from the Famous Monsters album. It was just so cool, an old horror feel that didn’t take a second to slow down or veer from the subject matter at hand…horror…and business was good (bad pun/good pun?). It was when I was working one day, listening to a mix tape (CD) that one of the servers came up to me and started to accost me for the music I was listening to. She compared “I Turned Into A Martian” to a documentary that she had seen on the Nazis (neo-Nazis I presumed is what she meant…I’m sure she was just too enraged to make the distinction). So, with that I asked if she had actually been listening to the words, because frankly, a bunch of whoa oh oh-ing really didn’t seem to have much to do with Mein Kampf. It was then that I knew I was a fan of the Misfits (old/new) because of a sound that preceded any content. It was the sound that she was offended by, it was fast, loud and inelastic. Not to say that the content wasn’t awesome, because frankly “Braineaters” is one of the best songs ever, but it was secondary to the “whoa oh ohh” Danzig howls and thumping rhythms.

For those not familiar with the band, this first section looks at some of the most amazing Misfits (Danzig-era) footage that has found home on the internet. Happy Halloween!

#1 – “Braineaters” Video: Where on earth was a music video for the gore-fest “Braineaters” played when it was originally released? I don’t know, do you? Either way – a banquet table surrounded by rowdy East Coast punks chanting about eating brains is probably the most amazing pieces of footage I’ve ever seen!

#2 – “Halloween (live)” Video: Jerry Only shouting out to his mom before the song, Danzig introducing the band’s NEW drummer Robo, and a song that embodies everything great about the the day…one could not ask for more.

#3 – “Bullet” Fan Video: One of the absolutely coolest fan-made videos in the history of fan-made videos, “Bullet” shadows between Kennedy and Misfits history before abruptly coming to an end far too quickly.

#4 – “Skulls (live)” Video: “I Want Your Skull, I Need Your Skull.” Danzig had a way with turning gruesome lyrics into something not simply tolerable, but enticing and fun. When people call Misfits’ songs classics, they’re probably talking about “Skulls.”

#5 – “I Turned Into A Martian (live)” Video: From a 1982 performance in Los Angeles comes the song that made sure that I would forever be a fan. Contrasting the current “Misfits” to this band, it’s so undeniably cool how hard they were and this performance does nothing to take away from that feeling.

“Scream” Video: As a bonus, the video that started everything Misfits for me – the zombie-fueled hospital horror-fest “Scream” from the Michaele Graves-lead Misfits. Not the same as the original band, but by God, at times just as good.

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Also: (Halloween with the Misfits Part 2: The Music) (Misfats: Misfits Cover Group)